Enchanted to Meet You
by NeahZoldyck13
Summary: Alfred knows about the other superheroes that guard his city, but he never expected to meet one of them on a job. He also didn't expect to fall in love with one of them, especially the mysterious Albion. Slow-burn USUK, other ships mentioned. Rated for language and jokes. First in a series.
1. Maybe This'll Be My Year

**A/N: So, I got inspired to write this because of the stunning lack of Superhero AUs in the archive. This borrows from Miraculous Ladybug, Marvel, and DC, as well as my own imagination. This is the first story in a five-part series. It is slow burn USUK. And I mean, SLOW burn. You'll figure out the other pairings eventually when more characters get introduced. Anyway! Enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Axis Powers: Hetalia in any way, shape, or form. A boy can hope, though... On with the story!**

* * *

"Look what the mighty Columbia has come to!" Jester laughed as he dodged _yet another_ of Columbia's punches. Alfred grit his teeth in frustration and swung again, cursing under his breath as the teleporter just dodged again, laughing at him.

"Oh, you poor thing. If you can't even handle us, how do you expect to protect this city?" Rosethorn crooned in his ear. Alfred quickly dodged away before the empath could touch him and activate his powers. He hissed as one of Fireball's flames got a bit too close for comfort, and he spun around to see all three of them in a line, smirking at him.

"Your move, Columbia," Rosethorn purred, smirking at him in an irritating fashion. Alfred weighed his options. The most logical choice would be to take out Jester first. Take the fastest person out, and escape would be really hard. Next would be Fireball, for obvious reasons. Alfred didn't want to get fried, after all. He could deal with Rosethorn after.

His mind made up, Alfred lunged for Jester, taking a moment to savour the surprise in his eyes before his right hook connected with Jester's jaw, knocking him unconscious. Rosethorn and Fireball cried out and jumped back, but not fast enough. Alfred spun and swept Fireball's feet out from under him, feeling a bit guilty when he heard the sickening thud Fireball's head made when it met the warehouse floor. He jumped up to go for Rosethorn, but stopped when a feeling of calm spread through him.

"Now that wasn't very nice, now was it?" Rosethorn whispered in his ear. Alfred barely registered the tightening grip on his right shoulder. His mind felt fuzzy, he could barely move, and he just felt _so tired…_

"Get away from him!" he heard before he registered the release of pressure on his shoulder. His mind beginning to clear as the effects of Rosethorn's powers left, Alfred spun to see who had yelled. His eyes widened to almost comical levels as he registered the green and silver-white suit mostly concealed by a hooded cloak. The owner of said suit was grappling with Rosethorn, and he appeared to be losing.

"Hey!" Alfred yelled, launching himself at Rosethorn. Rosethorn spun around in surprise, giving Alfred a perfect shot at his temples. Rosethorn dropped like a doll with his strings cut, leaving the figure in white standing there, panting.

"You okay?" Alfred asked, nervous. Because this was _Albion_ that was standing in front of him, and everyone knew how dangerous Albion could get when he was mad. And Albion absolutely _hated_ people interfering with his fights. Which is what Alfred just did. Oh crap.

"I'm fine. Thank you," Albion replied, gazing up at Alfred from underneath his hood. With a jolt, Alfred realized that he was taller. Albion always appeared so strong, it was hard for Alfred to imagine him being smaller. Alfred was also internally thankful that Albion didn't appear to be mad at him for interfering, so... Small victories!

"No problem, dude. No one deserves to be messed with the way Rosethorn does it. Plus, you helped me first," Alfred replied, shrugging. Albion let out a small chuckle and stuck out his hand.

"I know that you know who I am, just like I know who you are, but I think proper introductions are in order," Albion explained upon seeing Alfred's confusion.

"Oh. Right," Alfred said, fighting down a blush. What was this strange feeling in his chest? Deciding to ignore it, he took Albion's hand and shook it.

"I'm Columbia. It's nice to meet you, Albion," Alfred said, smiling. Even under the hood, Alfred could tell that Albion smiled back.

"Likewise, Columbia." They released each other's hands and went to make sure that Rosethorn, Fireball, and Jester were unconscious and tied up. After a few awkward seconds of silence, Alfred opened his mouth to say something, but a high-pitched beeping interrupted him.

"Oh, um… My time here is up. Sorry," Albion said, fidgeting. Another beeping broke the silence, and Alfred realised that that was his beep.

"Same. Don't worry about it. I mean, the cops are just outside at this point, so we can leave. Wouldn't want anyone discovering your identity because you deactivated," Alfred replied. Albion nodded and quickly fished a piece of paper out of his pocket. He handed it to Alfred with a brief explanation.

"My number. For hero-related stuff. Call me if you ever need me."

"Sure! I hope to see you soon, dude!" Alfred grinned before running out the door as his goggles beeped the second warning.

* * *

Alfred made it home just as his goggles beeped a third time and his suit dissolved.

"Successful mission, I'm guessing?" Matthew called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, it was!" Alfred called back.

"Urgh… I'm so hungry…" Allen complained as he phased out of the goggles and collapsed on the couch. Alfred giggled, and Allen shot him a glare.

"Don't worry, Allen, I got you your carrots," Matthew said, coming into the room with two cups of hot chocolate and a bowl of carrots.

"Matthew, you're an angel!" Allen cheered, shooting up from the couch and kissing Matthew on the cheek as he grabbed the bowl. Matthew laughed, now used to the spirit's antics. Alfred chuckled along with them, happy to be able to come home to this type of environment.

"Where's Kiku, by the way?" Alfred asked, realising that someone was missing.

"Oh, he's out with Herakles. He said he'd be back by 1," Matthew answered. Alfred frowned a bit but accepted the answer. Did Kiku start dating without Alfred finding out? If he had, that was sad! He hadn't even been able to give Herakles the shovel talk!

"Anything interesting happen on patrol tonight?" Matthew asked. Alfred decided not to answer. Unfortunately, Allen had a different idea. He set his bowl of carrots down and grinned his classic Cheshire-cat smile.

"Oh, it was definitely an interesting evening! Alfred's got a crush!"

"I do not!" Alfred squeaked, blushing bright red. Matthew spit out his hot chocolate.

"On who?!" Matthew yelped.

* * *

"COLUMBIA?! You met COLUMBIA?!" Seamus screeched. Arthur winced at the loud noise.

"Please keep your voice down. I can hear you just fine. And yes, I met Columbia. He saved me from Rosethorn," Arthur repeated calmly.

"Allistor! We might be losing Artie soon!" Seamus yelled. Arthur sighed in frustration. He hadn't said anything to suggest that!

"Seamus, you're overreacting. Arthur's not leaving anytime soon," Allistor said, strolling into the lounge.

"He met Columbia! In person! You KNOW how big his crush on Columbia is!" Seamus shot back, flailing his arms. Arthur blushed bright red and smacked Seamus.

"I told you that in confidence!" Arthur yelled. Seamus smirked. Allistor stared at Arthur with wide eyes.

"Okay, now I see why Seamus is freaking out. Are you planning on fighting with Columbia in the future?"

"I-I don't know. I mean… I gave him my number… Albion's number! Not mine!" Arthur quickly added after seeing the pissed, panicked faces of Seamus and Allistor.

"Did Arthur finally get a boyfriend?" Dylan asked as he walked in, sipping a Coke.

"Columbia!" Seamus announced, giggling. Arthur contemplated jumping out the window just to escape them, but Oliver walked in at that exact moment.

"Oh, could we please not fight? The day is too beautiful for us to be bickering!" Oliver pleaded, giving Allistor his Puppy Eyes of Doom. Allistor sighed.

"Oliver's right. Let's stop fighting. If Arthur says him and Columbia aren't dating, they aren't dating." Good old Allistor, ever the voice of reason.

"But Allistor! Don't you remember what happened with the _last_ three guys Arthur dated?" Dylan asked. Arthur winced. Here we go…

 _Everyone_ remembered Arthur's three former boyfriends. Antonio had been the first, and it had quite possibly been the most horrible of the three. They had fought constantly, and Antonio had called it off after two months for another guy. Arthur had agreed that this was what was best for both of them. What Arthur's brothers didn't know is that Antonio was the one who caused Arthur to lose his virginity. He also planned on never telling them because if he did, they would hunt Antonio down and kill him without mercy for "defiling their precious brother".

Next had been Francis, which had gone marginally better. While they still had arguments, these were more of the friendly and teasing nature that escalated quickly, rather than ones that started out angry. Arthur had been the one to call it off this time, after four months. While he dearly loved Francis, their romantic relationship just hadn't been working. Francis had taken it pretty well, all things considered, and had asked if they could remain friends. Arthur had readily agreed. They still met up at least twice a month, and Arthur was glad that their friendship was still intact.

Finally, there had been Gilbert, which had been going splendidly until an accident had occurred when Arthur was out being Albion. Gilbert was friends with both Francis and Antonio, and while he had heard what Arthur was like from them, he decided to form his own opinion. A month after their first meeting, and they were dating. They stayed together for almost seven months, before Arthur had a bad altercation with the Bad Touch Trio (Rosethorn, Fireball, and Jester; he had secretly dubbed them that in order to save time) and had ended up in the hospital. He woke up to immense pain and Gilbert crying at his bedside. Gilbert had called it off about a month after. He said that whenever he saw Arthur, he would always see that hospital bed, and he knew Arthur didn't need someone like that. Arthur understood, even though it broke his heart. Like Francis, though, him and Gilbert still remained good friends.

Because of his track record, however, this three brothers and the spirit that possessed his pendant were now overly protective of him when it came to relationships. It was likely that if they ever met Columbia, they would do everything in their power to chase him away. Arthur really didn't want that.

"Look, just drop it, okay? That was then, this is now. Besides, he's probably not interested," Arthur stated forcefully, standing up to go to his room.

"Are you sure about that, Arthur?" Oliver asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes. Why?" Arthur turned around, suspicious. Oliver giggled. "Oh, no reason. Good night, Artie!" Arthur returned the phrase and went to bed, relishing in the soft warmth as he drifted into blackness.

* * *

"Crap! I'm late, I'm late, I'm so so late!" Alfred yelled, running out the door. Allen chuckled from his bag, now in cat form. "Who's fault is that?"

"Yours. You didn't wake me up on time," Alfred grouched, pouring on the speed in order to catch his bus in time.

"Oh? Have I become your personal alarm clock?" Allen shot back, his dark brown tail darting out of the bag to swat Alfred's arm. Alfred swatted him back, and sighed in relief when he saw the bus waiting at the stop. The driver smirked at him as he got on and fished his pass out.

"Late night again?" she asked, pulling out into traffic.

"Don't you know it," Alfred laughed, swiping his pass and going to sit down. Patrol always took a lot out of him the next day, and this mad dash for the bus had become a common occurrence for the American.

He walked into the classroom, yawning as he went to his seat. Unfortunately, it was a lecture day, increasing the chance of him falling asleep by at least 200 percent.

"Late night, Alfred?" his friend Arthur asked. Alfred glanced at the Brit and smiled.

"Yeah. Studying for chemistry is horrible. How was your night?"

"Just fine. My brothers were being annoying as usual, but other than that it wasn't terrible. Thank you for asking," Arthur grinned back. Alfred laughed and ruffled Arthur's choppy blonde hair, ignoring the indignant squawk. Yeah, he definitely didn't have a crush on Albion, no matter what Allen said. Arthur had already stolen his heart, and nothing would ever convince him to give it to another.

* * *

"Arthur! The Bad Touch Trio are robbing another bank!" Dylan called. Arthur shot up from his bed, dropping his history essay, and he scrambled for Albion's pendant.

"I'm going!" Arthur yelled as soon as his fingers clenched around the pendant. Oliver appeared next to him and dove into the pendant, allowing his power to flood into Arthur's body. In a matter of seconds, Arthur was encased in Albion's uniform and was leaping out the window, headed for the Bad Touch Trio.

 _Remember what happened last night with them. Be careful, Artie,_ Oliver advised in his mind.

"I know," Arthur shot back through gritted teeth. He hated fighting the Bad Touch Trio for this exact reason: Oliver always got overprotective when he faced them.

When Arthur landed soon after, he found Columbia already engaged with Jester, managing to keep up with the teleporter with sheer speed alone. Fireball was trying to distract him and keep him away from Jester, and Rosethorn was taking care of the police. Deciding that Columbia could handle himself for another minute or so, Arthur leapt at Rosethorn.

"Ah, Albion. I was wondering when you would show up. Did you miss me that much?" Rosethorn purred, quickly dodging. Arthur glanced at a rope lying abandoned on the ground, and with a small nudge from his powers, it was wrapping around Rosethorn.

"Now that's not really fair," Rosethorn complained, struggling. Arthur ignored him and ran to help Columbia. Fireball and Jester were beginning to wear him down. Arthur thought for a second before aiming at Fireball, generating a glowing green ball of energy. Fireball didn't even have time to blink before it hit him, knocking him over. Jester yelped and teleported away from Arthur and Columbia, landing next to Rosethorn. Arthur leapt in front of Fireball, just in case Jester tried anything. After a silent conversation involving many looks, Jester grabbed Rosethorn and teleported away, leaving Fireball behind.

"Didn't we lock these guys up last night?" Columbia asked, breaking the silence. Arthur chuckled.

"We did. They must have gotten out pretty fast." The police ran in at that moment, lead by Detective Wang.

"Columbia. Albion. Where are Rosethorn and Jester?" Detective Wang asked after quickly surveying the room.

"Jester teleported out of here with Rosethorn about a minute ago. We don't know where they went," Arthur replied, shrugging. Detective Wang sighed in frustration and holstered his Glock.

"Thank you for stopping them. At least we got one of them," he said, gesturing to Fireball, who was just beginning to wake up. "Albion, would you mind tying him up for us?"

"No problem," Arthur said, allowing his powers to flow and wrap around Fireball. Detective Wang nodded in thanks before stepping forward and hauling Fireball to his feet.

Columbia turned to Albion after the police had left. "So, you wanna get dinner or something? The day's still young." Arthur blushed at the invitation. It sounded like Columbia was asking him on a date. And while he'd fantasized about this exact moment many times before, he didn't think he was ready to make that dream a reality. He was trying to think of a polite way to turn Columbia down when his pendant beeped. Columbia looked disappointed when he heard the noise.

"Next time?" he asked, looking hopeful. Arthur couldn't bring himself to say no.

"S-sure. Next time. If neither of us have used our powers too much."

"Great! See you next time, dude!" Columbia chirped before leaving. Arthur took a deep breath and summoned his powers, imagining his bedroom and allowing his powers to take him there.

Oliver collapsed as soon as he exited the pendant, and Arthur ran to get him some cupcakes. Someone had apparently already thought of this, because there was a plate of them on the counter when Arthur ran into the kitchen. Arthur grabbed it and ran back to feed his spirit.

Oliver thanked him as he ate. "So, Columbia finally asked you on a date?" Oliver smiled. Arthur winced a bit, but didn't object. Oliver wasn't like his brothers; he wouldn't tease him for something like this.

"Yes, I think he did," Arthur finally replied, gripping his hands so hard his knuckles turned white. Oliver grinned.

"Are you going to take him up on that next time?" he asked, neatly folding the cupcake wrappers on the plate.

"Probably. If I don't deactivate right after the battle," Arthur said, standing up and grabbing his laptop to continue his history essay. Oliver shrugged.

"Just pack some cupcakes, deactivate for a minute or two so I can eat them, and then go on a date. Simple!" Oliver beamed. Arthur laughed.

"I'll remember to do that next time. Thanks for the idea, Oliver." Arthur loved the spirit like a brother; Oliver always knew how to cheer him up.

"Anytime! Now, it's getting late. Finish your history essay. I'm going for a walk. See you later, Artie!" Oliver chirped as he grabbed one of the coats Arthur had gotten for him and left. Arthur sighed. Sometimes Oliver was such a worrywart. Arthur rolled his eyes and went back to his history essay, hoping that doing this would rid his thoughts of blonde hair and a beautiful smile.

* * *

"Allen! You're late!" Oliver whined at Allen as he walked across the roof. Allen sighed and rolled his eyes.

"No, you're early. Like always," Allen said. Oliver giggled a bit and swung his legs.

"So, Albion and Columbia have met. What do you think is going to happen?" Allen asked, trying to change the subject. Oliver fixed him with a piercing blue stare and answered with a smile.

"You know they love each other. What do you think will happen?"

"Columbia loves his classmate Arthur, not Albion. If Albion loves Columbia, it will only end in heartache," Allen replied, shaking his head. Oliver cracked up laughing, confusing Allen.

"What?" Allen finally snapped, tired of waiting for Oliver to calm down and tell him. Oliver smiled and swung his legs.

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see then, Allen. All I can tell you is that it is going to be a thrilling ride."

* * *

 **A/N: That's all for now, folks! Concrit is appreciated, flames are ignored. Updates every week. See you next week!**

 **Also, try to guess which member of the BTT each of the villains are! I'll give you cookies if you're right! Au revoir, meine lieblings!**


	2. Fools

**A/N: Sorry that this is late, guys! My Internet connection has been spotty for the last couple of days, and since I write using Google Docs, I need Internet in order to write my stories. On that note, it's here!**

 **Also, a shout-out to the guest reviewer crown for guessing correctly! Cookies for you! (Francis: Rosethorn; Gilbert: Jester; Antonio: Fireball)**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own APH in any way, shape, or form. All I own is the plot. A boy can dream, though...**

* * *

"Alfred-kun, please stop squirming. I really do need to stitch up this cut on your arm. Unless you would like to bleed out all over the floor," Kiku said as Alfred flinched away from the needle for the umpteenth time.

"Yeah, Alfred, come on. I've never had a host as wimpy as you," Allen piped up from Alfred's other side. Alfred gritted his teeth and glared at Allen.

"Not helping, Allen. And I'm not wimpy! I'm the Hero!" This statement garnered the usual reactions: Allen falling over from laughing too hard, Kiku chuckling lightly, and Matthew sighing and rolling his eyes.

"What's so funny?" Alfred whined, not even noticing Kiku continuing to stitch up his arm. Allen finally managed to compose himself, and smirked over at Alfred.

"It's nothing, Pork Chop. Just sit there and look pretty while Kiku stitches you up," Allen sniggered. Alfred huffed and rolled his eyes.

"I hate you all," he groaned, wincing as Kiku finished off the stitches.

"We know, Alfred. We love you too," Matthew called from the kitchen. The delicious smell of pancakes was starting to come from the kitchen, and Alfred's mouth was starting to water. Matthew knew how to make really damn good pancakes.

"Do you have vegan ones, Mattie?" Allen called. Even after living with the spirit for a year, the humans still sometimes forgot that Allen was a vegan and would only eat certain types of food.

"Yes, Allen, I didn't forget you. Why don't you come and make juice?" Matthew called back. Allen jumped up from the couch and skipped into the kitchen. Alfred and Kiku watched him go, amused.

"Thanks for stitching me up, Keeks. Sorry I'm such a crappy patient," Alfred smiled. Kiku nodded.

"It's fine, Alfred-kun. You are much better behaved than some of the people I work with," Kiku sighed, probably thinking about some of his patients at the hospital. Alfred laughed a bit, glad that Kiku wasn't too mad at him for hating stitches.

The phone rang, and Matthew yelled, "Alfred, can you see who that is? I'm busy!" Alfred grumbled, but got up from the couch and picked up the phone. Why they even had a landline anymore, he'll never know. Who even still uses landlines, anyway?

"Hello?" Alfred asked.

"Hey, Alfred! Is Birdie there?" a thick German accent came from the other end of the line.

"Mattie! It's your boyfriend!" Alfred called.

"Tell him I'm busy and that I'll call him later!" Matthew yelled back before cursing at the smell of burning pancakes.

"'Kay! Mattie'll call you later," Alfred yelled back before reporting to Gilbert.

"Oh, that's fine. How are you doing, Alfred?" Gilbert asked. Alfred laughed. Even though Gilbert was dating his twin brother, he was still a great friend. Alfred really liked that about him, even though he probably should be pissed that Gilbert was dating his brother.

"I'm fine, man. Thanks for checking! Anyway, I've got a calculus assignment to do. Talk to ya later, 'kay?" At Gilbert's affirmative, Alfred hung up the phone and wandered back over to the couch.

"Dinner's ready!" Matthew called, poking his head into the living room. Alfred jumped up and ran into the kitchen, excited, while Kiku behaved more like a normal person would. Allen already had a plate of pancakes in front of him, and he was pouring orange juice into the glasses.

"Thanks, Mattie! Thanks, Allen! This looks great!" Alfred cheered, loading his plate up with pancakes. Both Matthew and Allen chuckled and rolled their eyes at Alfred's antics.

"Remember, Alfred, Kiku and I need to eat as well. Don't take all the pancakes, please," Matthew reminded, grabbing the maple syrup out of the pantry.

"Yeah, yeah, Mattie, I know. I won't take all the pancakes, sheesh," Alfred drawled, plopping down onto his chair.

Dinner passed by like normal, with lots of jokes, small talk, and mini fights. Alfred and Kiku cleaned up the dishes, as per house rules, while Allen made popcorn and Matthew chose a movie to watch. After much debate, they finally settled on an action movie about dragons, and Alfred grabbed his calculus homework to do during the movie. Miraculously, he got it done, even with all the awesome explosions and fight scenes in the background.

Around midnight, Matthew yawned and stood up. "I'm going to bed. Try not to break anything, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, Matthew, don't worry. I'll keep an eye on this idiot," Allen drawled, jabbing a thumb in Alfred's direction. Alfred stuck his tongue out at the spirit.

"I'll keep them both in line, Matthew-san," Kiku reassured him. Matthew nodded and wandered off to his bedroom, leaving the two bickering boys and their exasperated friend alone.

* * *

"ARTIEEEEE! You're here!" Arthur flinched as Alfred's loud voice rang out across the room. The grinning blonde ran over to him, his arms full of textbooks that should really be much too heavy for him to lift.

"Of course I am. Where else would I be?" Arthur huffed, trying to ignore the fluttery feeling in his stomach at the sight of that smile. Damn it, he loved Columbia! COLUMBIA! Not Alfred, his best friend! He needed to see Lukas after this and see about some form of magic to deal with this. The advantages of having a friend who was a Wiccan.

"I don't know. Maybe skipping class? At home sick? Marathoning _Sherlock_?" Alfred suggested, shrugging. Arthur sighed and rolled his eyes. Of course the idiot would think of stuff like that.

"Well, I hate to disappoint, Alfred, but I'm not that type of person," Arthur replied, rolling his eyes. From his bag, he heard Oliver snicker softly, and Arthur tried to inconspicuously smack him into silence. He did _not_ need this right now.

"Arthur! _Mon ami_! Did you catch Albion's last fight with the Rogues?" Arthur sighed in exasperation at Francis as he wrapped his arms around Arthur's shoulders.

"Yes, Francis, I know what happened. You don't have to bug me _every time_ there's a new fight," Arthur groaned. Alfred laughed as Francis gripped his chest in mock horror.

"Oh, you wound me, Arthur! I'm just trying to make sure you're up to date on current events. I guess I'll go hang out with Gilbert and Antonio if you don't want me," Francis sniffed, spinning around and stalking off to find his friends.

"Are we still on for this Saturday, Francis?" Arthur yelled. Francis raised one hand in a thumbs-up gesture and waved goodbye.

Alfred laughed. "I swear, you two are some of the few people I know who used to date and are still good friends. How do you do it?"

Arthur performed an imaginary hair flip as he walked to his seat. "It's a trade secret." Alfred laughed and followed him.

Class passed by in even more of a blur than it normally did. Alfred didn't nod off for once, but after a few sleepless nights in a row, Arthur was fucking _exhausted._ Alfred was too absorbed in doodling to notice, but luckily for Arthur, Oliver was there.

"Arthur!" Oliver hissed, swatting Arthur with one of his paws. Arthur jerked awake and forced himself to pay attention, hoping that Professor Braginsky hadn't noticed his little nap. He patted Oliver's head to let him know that he was grateful, then went back to taking notes.

After class, Arthur tried to get out of there quickly, but Alfred stopped him before he could go any further. "Hey, Arthur! I have a question." Arthur sighed, mentally prepared himself, and turned around. "Yes?"

"Well... there's this new fantasy movie coming out... and I know you like magic and stuff... Do you wanna come see it with me?" Arthur froze, his mind trying to process what was happening. Was Alfred... asking him on a date? A romantic date? Did Alfred like him? Oh dear God, how should he respond?!

"S-sure. I-I'd love to, Alfred," Arthur finally stammered out. Mentally, he was smacking himself. Great, now Alfred thought he was interested in him in that way!

"Really?!" Alfred's grin stretched all the way across his face. "Great! I'll text you a date and time, and then I'll come pick you up. Thanks, Artie! See you tomorrow!" Alfred yelled before running off, leaving Arthur standing there frozen.

Luckily, the room was empty, so no one saw Oliver sneak out of Arthur's bag and transform into his human form. "Artie? Are you okay?"

"... I'm doomed. Now he thinks I'm interested in him that way, and I have to tell him that I'm not, but it'll break his heart and we'll stop being friends. Oh God, Oliver, what have I done?!" Arthur began to panic. Oliver grabbed his shoulders.

"Artie, calm down and talk to me. It'll be fine. We'll work this out. Now, come on, you don't want to be late for class, do you?" Arthur shook his head. "Good. Now let's go." Oliver transformed back into a rabbit and crawled back into Arthur's bag as Arthur took off running towards his next class.

* * *

"Are you kidding me?! HOW DID YOU GET OUT OF JAIL SO QUICKLY?!" Alfred yelled as he swung at Fireball. Fireball just laughed and dodged _yet again._ Alfred was really starting to get tired of this repetition.

"I need a bit of help! Columbia, Albion, how close are you to finishing?!" Fjord's voice yelped. The poor ice maker was slowly starting to get overwhelmed by Jester.

"Sorry, dude, but I'm kinda busy!" Alfred yelled, dodging one of Fireball's... well, fireballs.

"Same! My apologies, Fjord, but I can't assist you either," Albion called, desperately trying to keep up the shield between himself and Rosethorn.

"Well, that's just great!" Fjord yelled, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, am I too much for you, Fjord?" Jester laughed, popping up behind the ice maker again. Fjord snarled and spun around, ice daggers already forming in his hands. Jester teleported away before the daggers could land, though, and Fjord spun back around, trying to find where Jester had teleported to.

A cry rang out across the room, and both Fjord and Alfred whipped around to see Rosethorn pinning a limp Albion to the ground.

"ALBION!" Alfred yelled, forgetting that Fireball was right behind him. All Alfred felt was a blast of heat, and then everything went black.

* * *

Groaning, Alfred cracked open his eyes and was immediately blinded by bright lights right above him. He registered a cold metal table below him. Frowning, Alfred attempted to roll over, but a searing pain quickly scratched that idea.

"Oh, you're awake!" a cheerful voice came from his left side. Alfred rolled his head in that direction to find a small blonde man with soft violet eyes standing in the doorway, grinning and holding Alfred's goggles. Wait. He was holding Alfred's goggles. Which meant...

"Shit!" Alfred yelped, sitting bolt upright and ignoring the pain racing through his frame. The small man chuckled.

"Relax, I'm not going to tell anyone what you look like under the mask, Columbia. I just took off your goggles so I could treat your wounds. Here, you should probably activate before going out." The small man tossed Alfred his goggles, and Alfred gratefully put them back on. His suit covered him once more, and he turned to face the small man.

"Um... thanks for... whatever you did... How'd you find me?" Alfred asked, confused.

The small man grinned. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't introduce myself! Tino Väinämöinen, at your service!" The man, Tino, stuck out his hand for Alfred to shake. Alfred took it.

"Um... Columbia. So, how did you find me, and where are we?"

"Oh! Yes! I'm part of Fjord's support team. I'm the medical technician. As for how we found you, Fjord managed to stop Jester, Rosethorn, and Fireball, and then he called us about you and Albion. Emil's taking care of Albion as we speak. Anyway, do you want some food? Emil's boyfriend Leon makes a really good stir fry," Tino rambled, smiling. Alfred found himself relaxing in the presence of this bubbly person.

"Food would be great, yes. Do you have any carrots? For my spirit," Alfred asked, thinking that Allen was probably exhausted.

"Oh, he's already eaten, along with Albion's and Fjord's. No need to worry," Tino said, waving off Alfred's concerns. Alfred sighed in relief and followed Tino out into a large kitchen, where an Asian boy was at the stove stirring something in a large pan.

"Leon! Columbia's awake!" Tino exclaimed. The Asian boy, Leon, turned around and gave Columbia a nod.

"Hello. Are there any dietary restrictions that I need to know about?" Alfred blinked.

"No... I'll eat anything as long as there's meat in it," Alfred replied. Leon cracked a grin.

"You're quite different from your spirit. He hates meat."

"Yeah, I know. I have no idea how I put up with him some days," Alfred laughed. Leon and Tino chuckled with him.

 _Oh, so that's how it is, kid. Fine. I get it,_ Allen's grumpy voice came inside Alfred's head.

 _Oh, shush up, you. You know I still care,_ Alfred thought back. At the grudging silence, Alfred knew that he'd won the argument.

Fjord walked into the kitchen a few minutes later with a tall man with spiky hair. Alfred's eyes widened as he took in the tall guy.

"No way... You're Charge," Alfred whispered. The tall guy grinned.

"See, Norge? Someone recognizes me! Pleased to meet you, Columbia. I've heard lots of great things," Charge grinned, sticking out his hand for Alfred to shake.

"Thanks a bunch, dude! So, what are you doing here? Did you get injured too?" Alfred asked. There was a slight pause, and then Tino, Charge, Leon, and Fjord were all laughing.

"What?" Alfred asked, confused. "What did I say?"

"Charge and Fjord are engaged, Columbia," a new voice spoke. Alfred whipped around and saw a tall man with bleach-blonde hair and glasses leaning in the doorway.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Berwald, Tino's husband. I also happen to be Fjord and Charge's tech supervisor," the tall man, Berwald, nodded.

"Oh, um... hi," Alfred mumbled. Damn, Berwald was tall!

"Where are Emil and Albion?" Fjord asked after a moment.

"Right here," a British-accented voice rasped. Alfred whipped around and saw Albion leaning heavily on a slim, white-haired teenager.

"Oh my God, Albion, are you okay?!" Alfred yelped, rushing over to take some of Albion's weight off the kid.

"I'm fine, Columbia. Just drained, thanks to Rosethorn," Albion replied, gratefully leaning on Alfred's shoulder. A warm feeling spread through Alfred's body, and he panicked. _Think about Arthur, think about Arthur, THINK ABOUT ARTHUR!_ Alfred mentally screamed.

"Stir fry's ready, if anyone wants some," Leon announced. The kid who had come in with Albion, who was probably Emil, immediately went for a bowl, but stopped when Leon grabbed his hand.

"Babe, let the people with powers go first. You'll get some, I promise," Leon grinned. Emil pouted, but relented, letting Alfred grab two bowls, one for himself and one for Albion.

"Thank you," Albion breathed as he took the bowl and sat down.

"So, Albion, Columbia. I trust that you won't tell anyone about us?" Fjord asked, giving them an icy glare from across the table.

"Of course, dude! Your secret's safe with me!" Alfred beamed, eating his stir fry. Albion nodded in agreement, and Fjord seemed to relax.

"Thank you. I'm sorry if I seemed rude, it's just... I don't want anything to happen to anyone here, you know?" Fjord said. Albion and Alfred nodded in agreement.

"Oh, Leon. Aren't you Detective Wang's younger brother?" Albion asked. Leon groaned and banged his head on the table.

"Yes I am, sadly. He doesn't know that Emil's related to a superhero, and I plan to keep it that way," Leon answered.

"I totally understand, dude. I'd feel super bad if anyone found out the guy I liked was dating a superhero," Alfred answered, smiling as he thought of Arthur. Albion choked on his food.

"Y-you're gay?" Albion asked, looking like he was trying to look anywhere except for Alfred. Alfred frowned.

"Yes. Do you have an issue with that?" Alfred asked, hoping that wasn't the case.

"Oh, no no no!" Albion exclaimed, waving his hands frantically. "I-it's just... I thought you liked girls. I mean, you're always flirting after your battles, and..."

Alfred laughed. "Is that what it comes off as? I'm just being friendly, that's all."

"O-oh," Albion stammered, falling silent and playing with his food.

Charge leaned over and stage-whispered to Fjord. "Hey, Norge! Think it's about time we hooked them up?" Alfred and Albion both stammered and blushed furiously.

"NO! I have no interest in him like that!" both Alfred and Albion stammered out. Everyone else just laughed and shook their heads. The rest of dinner passed by in relative peace, and when it was time for Albion to leave, Alfred stood up and offered to walk him home.

"I'm quite capable of walking myself home, thank you very much," Albion huffed almost affectionately.

"Okay. If you're sure..." Alfred trailed off.

"I'll probably see you tomorrow, right?" Albion asked, a hopeful note in his voice. Alfred grinned.

"Yeah! Totally! See you, dude!" Albion nodded before gathering his powers (Alfred still thought it looked like magic, but whatever) and teleporting away.

* * *

"You have a chance, Artie! Columbia's gay as well!" Oliver squealed. Arthur just curled up into an even tighter ball.

"You saw his response, Oliver. He's not interested in me like that. It's better if I just forget it and move on," Arthur mumbled. Oliver whacked him on the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Arthur complained, rubbing his sore scalp.

"For being an idiot. You'll never know until you _really_ try. Ask him on a date tomorrow, Arthur," Oliver said, giving Arthur his Puppy Eyes. Arthur sighed, giving in to Oliver's dubious persuasion methods.

"Fine, I'll ask. But only fools rush in like this, Oliver. I don't want to be a fool again," Arthur whispered, hugging his legs to his chest.

"Oh, Arthur... Come here," Oliver murmured, pulling Arthur into a hug. Arthur started crying a bit, and Oliver rocked him back and forth until he calmed down.

"There. Now, get to bed, you. We've got a busy day tomorrow," Oliver said, bopping Arthur on the nose. Arthur rolled his eyes but climbed into bed, flicking off his lights as he did. Before he drifted off, he registered soft, warm fur burrowing into his side, and he grinned. Looks like Oliver wasn't leaving him alone tonight.

* * *

 **A/N: Urgh... that sucked to write... Anyway, thanks so much for reading this! I'll try to update on schedule next time. Cookies if anyone can guess who Charge and Fjord are! (Though it should be pretty obvious...) See you in a week, lieblings! Remember, concrit is appreciated, flames are eaten by my pet dragon.**


	3. Dancing With Strangers (Falling Apart)

**A/N: Hello all! Welcome back to a third chapter! I must confess, I've been super busy lately, so this may suck a bit. Just a warning. Also, sorry for the late update!**

 **Also, since no one guessed, here's the answer: Charge=Denmark; Fjord=Norway**

 **Anyway, on with the story!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own APH in any way, shape, or form. A girl can hope, though...**

* * *

"Fireball and Jester are wrecking downtown! Alfred, how close are you?" Matthew called through Alfred's earpiece. Alfred gritted his teeth in concentration and poured on the speed, answering "About a minute now. Is anyone there taking care of it?"

"Fjord, Albion, and Charge are already there, but I don't think they can hold out for much longer," Kiku cut in, the sound of typing keys echoing in the background. Presumably Kiku hacking into the security cameras.

"Yeah, Fjord's already mostly spent. So's Albion. Charge is doing pretty well, but get there quick, okay?" Matthew reported.

"Got it," Alfred replied, skidding to a stop on the edge of a roof overlooking the fight. "Talk to you later, Maple. I've got some asses to kick."

"Stay safe, Columbia," Kiku answered, but Alfred ignored it because he was already leaping down on top of Jester.

"Hey, Jester! Surprise!" Alfred smirked as his foot connected with Jester's shoulder, sending the albino teleporter crashing to the ground, shouting in pain. Fireball whipped around, but Charge took that moment to flick a charged stick at the back of his head, a concussive blast knocking Fireball down. Albion was pulling himself up from the road with Fjord's help. Both were panting and appeared to be on the verge of collapsing.

"Albion, Fjord, it's okay. Charge and I got this. Go rest up," Alfred yelled back at them. Fjord reluctantly nodded and led Albion off, even though Albion was protesting all the way. Alfred directed his attention back to Jester, and groaned when he saw the teleporter climbing to his feet.

"Don't you know how to stay down?" he complained. Jester smirked annoyingly.

"Not really, no. You don't know how to let things go, do you?" Jester teased back. Alfred rolled his eyes and grabbed Jester's wrist, lifting him into the air before slamming him back to the ground. Jester cried out as his shoulder popped out of its socket, and Alfred internally winced in sympathy. He knew how painful dislocated shoulders were, and he hadn't meant to be that rough. Jester gripped his left shoulder with his right hand, hissing between his teeth. Alfred hoped the police would show up before any more damage was done.

Luckily, his hopes were answered, because Detective Wang pulled up a moment later, jumping out of his cruiser with his Glock pointed in front of him.

"Jester! Fireball! Stand down, and this will be much easier for you!" Wang yelled, cocking his gun. Alfred and Charge quickly blocked Fireball and Jester's escape route, and Jester and Fireball reluctantly put their hands up.

"I would let them go now, Detective Wang," a cool, smooth voice cut through. Alfred and Charge both spun around, Alfred's eyes widening as he saw Rosethorn. Worse, Rosethorn had a knife pressed to the throat of a hostage. Even worse, that hostage was Arthur, who was breathing rapidly and looked like he was trying not to panic.

Alfred heard someone behind him take a sharp breath in, and he turned, brows furrowed in confusion. Jester was looking absolutely panicked, and looked like he was debating ignoring Wang's orders not to move.

"Let the hostage go, Rosethorn!" Wang yelled, and Alfred could detect a flash of fear in his eyes. Rosethorn had _never_ resorted to this kind of thing before. He was always the kind of villain who hated casualties. The fact that he was resorting to a hostage meant he had lost it. And a villain who had lost it was the most dangerous kind.

"Let my friends go first!" Rosethorn snarled in response, and Alfred finally realized why Rosethorn was doing this. He didn't want to see Jester and Fireball go to jail.

"Hey, it's okay," Alfred soothed, stepping forward with his hands held up placatingly. Rosethorn flinched back a bit, accidentally nicking Arthur's neck a bit. Alfred and Jester both sharply inhaled, and Alfred briefly wondered why Jester cared.

"It's fine. I can go with you and make sure nothing too bad happens, if that's what you're worried about. Just, please let him go. He has nothing to do with this," Alfred calmly offered.

"I'd believe that more if Detective Wang lowered his gun," Rosethorn said bitterly. At Alfred's glance, Wang lowered his gun, but he didn't uncock it. Rosethorn seemed to relax a bit, however, and slightly loosened his grip on Arthur. Jester made as if to get up, but Detective Wang stepped forward to stop him.

"Let him," Alfred called back, wanting to know why Jester cared about Arthur's safety. At Wang's nod, Jester stood up and walked over to Rosethorn and Alfred, while Fireball pulled himself up into a sitting position.

"Rosie, we've talked about this. No one gets hurt, remember?" Jester said softly, coming to stand at Alfred's side. Alfred wondered if he should leave them alone. This seemed like an intimate moment.

"I know! But that rule isn't going to hold up when it's you and _Feu_ at stake! Prison is not a nice place, and I'm not letting you two suffer through it," Rosethorn shot back, tears started to spill from his eyes behind his mask. Alfred blinked. Wow, that was... really intense dedication. Breaking your code for your friends... Alfred didn't even want to imagine what could have brought Rosethorn to this level.

"If I can interject," Wang spoke up, finally uncocking and holstering his gun. At everyone's shocked look, he rolled his eyes and continued.

"Contrary to popular belief, I do have a heart. If you three come down to the station, we can work something out that doesn't involve jail time. How does that sound?"

Charge shrugged. "Honestly, the worst that's happened is a little property damage and some theft. Nothing too severe. I'm fine with not sending them to jail." Alfred nodded, and Rosethorn actually started crying. Jester moved forward to hug him, carefully pulling the knife away from Arthur's throat in the process and letting Arthur scramble out. Wang immediately called for a paramedic, noticing the small trickle of blood on Arthur's neck. Alfred quickly grabbed Arthur's shoulders as his legs started shaking.

"You okay?" he asked. Arthur gazed back at him with beautiful green eyes.

"I-I'm fine, Columbia. Just a bit shaken up. Thank you for helping talk Rosethorn down," Arthur replied, smiling slightly. Alfred swore his heart started doing somersaults at the sight of that smile.

"My cruiser's big enough for three in the backseat and one in the front. Columbia, do you want to come with?" Wang offered. Alfred nodded before handing Arthur over to the paramedics and following Wang to his cruiser. Jester carefully led Rosethorn along with him, Fireball standing and following them as well. After the three criminals piled into the backseat and everyone had seatbelts on, Wang locked the doors and started the car.

"So, Rosethorn," Wang began in a casual tone. "Why are you so scared of jail? I'll be the first to admit it's not pretty, but something must have happened to make you react like that."

"My father was a police officer. He didn't really approve of me, so he locked me in his station frequently, making up some stupid reason so no one would ask questions," Rosethorn replied, fidgeting. Wang blinked in shock as they pulled up to a red light.

"Wow. That was... a douche move. Is it wrong that I want to punch your father?" Alfred spoke up, causing everyone else to crack up a little.

"It is a bit odd, considering we were enemies not one hour ago," Rosethorn chuckled. Fireball rolled his eyes.

"Rosie, remember who you're talking to, _amigo_. This is Columbia. The biggest puppy dog alive."

"Hey!" Alfred protested, and Fireball laughed before winking at him, showing Alfred that he was just kidding.

"And we're here," Wang announced, pulling up in front of the station. Rosethorn stiffened, and everyone shot him consoling looks.

"No handcuffs, I promise. If you don't mind, I'll be right back. I'm going to inform a couple of my officers of the... situation. I just need to ask you guys some basic questions. It will involve revealing your identities, but I can guarantee that only my two officers and I will know this information. And maybe Columbia, if you're comfortable with that," Wang said. At Jester and Fireball's nod, saying it was alright for Alfred to know, Wang left, leaving Alfred to supervise the three criminals.

"Well, this feels awkward," Alfred spoke up after a few moments of silence. Fireball and Jester laughed.

" _Ja_ , it is a bit odd," Jester chuckled.

"Well, we're not going to have much privacy after this," Fireball spoke, causing Alfred to wince in sympathy.

"I'm not going to track you down or anything. Although, I'm probably part of the deal with Wang, knowing him," Alfred attempted to sound trustworthy. Jester laughed.

"Good. I would like some privacy with my boyfriend on occasion." Alfred's eyes bugged out.

"You have a boyfriend?!" he yelped. Rosethorn and Jester both flinched, while Fireball suddenly looked protective.

"Is that an issue, Columbia?" Fireball asked coldly, taking Alfred by surprise. Oh. So, Rosethorn's horrible father was like that to his son because... Oh.

"No, no, I was just surprised! I'd never considered it is all. I'm actually gay myself," Alfred admitted. Three sighs of relief came from the backseat, and then Wang opened the door, flanked by two officers.

"We're ready for you," Wang said. Alfred nodded and climbed out, opening one of the back doors. Jester climbed out, and his eyes widened as he saw one of the officers.

"Detective Beilschmidt, would you mind taking Jester?" Wang asked. Jester gulped.

" _Ja,_ that's fine," the tall blonde, Detective Beilschmidt replied, stepping forward and looping an arm through Jester's to keep him from running.

"Rosethorn, I'll be talking to you, and Detective Zwingli will be talking to Fireball. Columbia, you can go with anyone," Wang rattled off.

"I'm going with Jester," Alfred reported before running off to go catch up with Detective Beilschmidt. The blonde detective gave him a nod in acknowledgement before leading Jester into a room. After the door was closed and locked, Beilschmidt sat down and pulled out a piece of paper.

"Okay, let's start. I'm under orders to not reveal who you are to anyone else besides Detective Wang and Detective Zwingli. And Columbia. So, would you mind taking off your mask?" Beilschmidt asked, glancing up. Jester took a deep breath and deactivated, revealing a familiar face.

"GILBERT?!" Alfred and Beilschmidt both screeched at once. Gilbert blinked in confusion.

"I was expecting that from Luddie, but not from you, Columbia. How do I know you?" Gilbert asked, slipping back into his German accent.

Beilschmidt cleared his throat. "Well... I can answer all the questions on my own, then... I'll leave you two to it." He left, closing and locking the door behind him. Alfred started laughing as soon as he was gone.

"What?" Gilbert asked, cautiously. Alfred shook his head and pulled off his goggles, laughing even harder at Gilbert's face.

"I'm not gonna hate you. If you don't want to tell Mattie, that's fine. I still approve," Alfred shook his head. Gilbert started laughing as well.

"Want to have dinner and talk this through with Mattie?" he asked. Alfred nodded.

"I'm sure Matthew would love to know just what his boyfriend has been getting up to," Alfred teased. Gilbert groaned and slammed his head against the table.

"I'm dead, aren't I?"

* * *

"Arthur, you shouldn't have deactivated!" Oliver fussed after Arthur got back home. "Look what happened to you!"

"Oliver, I'm fine. Nothing important got nicked, I'm safe, and I'm pretty sure we won't have to worry about the Bad Touch Trio for a while. So, please stop worrying about me," Arthur sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Oliver stopped fussing when he saw how tired Arthur was.

"I'm sorry. I forgot that my powers take a pretty big toll on you. Here, I'll get you something to relax you. Tea? Just... go relax, and I'll be back," Oliver stammered awkwardly before quickly running out of the room. Arthur groaned and collapsed back on his bed. He started thinking back to earlier. Was Columbia okay? Had him and Wang worked out a deal for the Bad Touch Trio? Who _were_ the Bad Touch Trio?

A knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts. "Come in," he called. Dylan walked in, holding two steaming cups of tea.

"Oliver was so drained he collapsed. Allistor's taking care of him. I wanted to have a chat," Dylan explained, shutting the door behind him and sitting at the foot of Arthur's bed. Arthur gratefully accepted the mug Dylan handed him, and Dylan allowed him to take a few sips before speaking.

"So, I heard you were in a hostage situation out of uniform today."

"Yeah. Rosethorn started freaking out and grabbed the nearest person, who happened to be me. I'm fine, though."

"I thought so. If you weren't, Oliver would still be freaking out. I wanted to know why Rosethorn was scared."

"He's probably had a bad experience with prison and didn't want his friends to end up there. Based on his actions and what he said, at least."

"Mm. That would do it. I also heard that Jester reacted oddly."

"Yeah, he was really freaked out when he saw I was the hostage. I have no idea why."

"Thought so. Do you want someone to call Columbia for you?"

"Why?" Arthur asked, puzzled.

Dylan sighed and set down his mostly empty mug. "He would be able to explain the situation properly, wouldn't he?"

"Well, yeah," Arthur replied. "I could just ask him next time I see him, though. No need to have him make a special trip."

"If you're sure," Dylan sighed, standing up and ruffling Arthur's hair. "Now, finish your tea and get some sleep. You have class in the morning."

"Yeah, yeah. Stop fussing, _Mother_ ," Arthur sighed, teasing Dylan. Dylan chuckled and left, leaving Arthur alone once more.

A knock at his window startled Arthur out of his thoughts. He turned to look, and almost jumped out of his skin. Rosethorn was crouched on his windowsill, grinning sheepishly. Arthur scrambled over and opened the window a crack.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier. May I come in? It's quite cold out here," Rosethorn answered. Arthur sighed and relented, opening his window wider to let the empath in.

" _Merci_. I really am sorry for earlier. I wasn't expecting Detective Wang to show up so soon, and when he did, I snapped and grabbed the nearest person as a hostage. I never meant to hurt you. How's your neck?" Rosethorn asked, concerned. Arthur blinked.

"Oh, it's fine. And really, I forgive you. I probably would have done the same, in your position."

Rosethorn grinned in relief. "Good. Then it makes this next part much easier."

"Huh?" Arthur asked, and then Rosethorn grinned again and closed his eyes.

"Angelique, detransform," he said, and a flash of pink-red light appeared. Arthur blinked his eyes to clear his vision and found Francis standing there, grinning sheepishly.

"Wha...?" Arthur stumbled backward, and Francis moved to catch him.

"I should have prepared you better. I figured it was time for the secrecy to end," Francis apologized, slowly lowering them to the floor.

"I just... this is quite a shock..." Arthur stammered.

"Should I go get some more tea?" a girl's voice asked. Arthur looked up and saw a girl with a dark tan and long black hair standing there.

"Thank you, Angelique, that would be wonderful," Francis replied, and the girl (Francis' spirit, Arthur realized) turned and left. Arthur just laughed and shook his head.

"I can't believe I didn't see the signs before," Arthur laughed, causing Francis to pout.

"Was I really that obvious?"

"You were, now that I think about it."

"Oh, come on, _mon ami_ , I'm trying to apologize for earlier here."

"And you're doing a splendid job, frog. Thank you for telling me."

"Anytime, _lapin_. Anytime."

They fell asleep cuddled together on the floor. Eventually, Angelique and Oliver found them, and with matching grins, covered the two with blankets and left them.

* * *

"Arthur! I heard you were in a hostage situation yesterday! Are you okay?" Alfred yelled across the room, running up to Arthur. Francis was already by Arthur, discussing something, and the two looked up in surprise when Alfred ran over.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine, Alfred. Thank you for asking," Arthur replied, smiling warmly. Alfred grinned back, giving Francis, aka Rosethorn, a knowing glance. Francis nodded, telling Alfred that yes, Francis did tell Arthur who he was. Arthur didn't seem to be angry or anything, so Alfred deemed this a success. Francis needed all the friends he could get, and Arthur had been one of his best ones over the years.

"That's great to hear! Glad you're not hurt!" Alfred cheered, slinging an arm around Arthur's shoulders. Arthur rolled his eyes and grumbled something about being a bloody git with no personal space or tact, but Alfred ignored him. Professor Braginsky walked in as the warning bell rang, signalling that class was about to start. Alfred and Arthur headed to their seats, and Alfred saw Francis sitting with Gilbert and Antonio on the other side of the room. How he'd never noticed who those three were before, he would never know.

"Attention! Today we will be discussing medieval tax systems," Braginsky announced. Everyone groaned in unison, and Alfred knew it was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Finally! I finally got a chance to sneak out!" Allen yelled dramatically, throwing his hands up. Oliver giggled from his position on the park bench, and Allen spared him a little glare.

" _You_ try sneaking out of a crowded chemistry class and tell me how _you_ feel after," Allen grouched. Oliver giggled again and shifted over, letting Allen sit next to him.

"Oh, I've done that before. It's not that hard if you know what you're doing," Oliver teased. Allen pouted but sat down anyway, shooting Oliver a petulant glare.

"So, what did you want, Ollie? You only organize meetings like this when you want something," Allen asked. Oliver sighed.

"Does Columbia care about Albion? At all?" Oliver asked nervously. Allen blinked.

"Yeah. Of course he does. Why do you ask?"

"... Albion won't admit it, but he was pretty shaken up about that hostage situation yesterday. Do you think... you could get Columbia to talk to him about it after their next fight or something?"

"Yeah, sure, I can do that. How are you holding up?" Allen asked.

Oliver smiled. "Aw, Allen, your concern is touching, but I'm fine. Now, let's get back to our humans before they notice us missing, yes?"

* * *

 **A/N: And that's the end of the chapter! Hopefully I won't be late next time -_- Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Concrit is loved, flames are used to roast marshmallows. Until next chapter!**


	4. What If (We Ruin It All)

**A/N: Oh God, I am SO SO SORRY for the late chapter! Writer's block is kicking my ass, and I haven't been able to write for a few days because of my cousins. I'm SO SORRY!**

 **Anyway, here's Chapter 4! Thank you so much to EclipseOfTheHeartAndSoul for giving me suggestions on how this chapter should go! I love all of you who have stuck with me so far, and I hope you like this chapter! Also, only one more chapter of this story!**

 **Also, I'm sort of introducing a couple of villains earlier than I had planned. Let's hope this goes well...**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hetalia: Axis Powers in any way, shape, or form. A boy can dream, though...**

* * *

"So, Gilbert... exactly _how_ long have you been Jester?" Matthew asked, giving his boyfriend the "don't you dare lie to me" look. Gilbert fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat, staring at his food as he answered.

"About two years."

"Two years, two months, and five days!" Yong-Soo, Gilbert's spirit, chirped cheerfully from his place next to Kiku. Gilbert glared.

"Well, excuse me for not knowing the exact time frame," he grouched, his German accent thicker. Yong-Soo giggled a little in reply.

"Yong, don't antagonize your host," Allen drawled, stabbing a piece of tofu. Yong-Soo pouted in Allen's direction.

"Aw, Allen, you're no fun!" he whined. The four humans at the table exchanged looks that screamed "Why us?!" and tried to change the subject.

"Are you Enhancement type or Gain type?" Alfred asked.

"Oh. Gain. My powers aren't natural." Gilbert looked surprised at Alfred's question. Yong-Soo laughed.

"You should have seen him when he first started out! It was so cute! He kept crashing into things and tripping and-"

"Yong! Stop embarrassing me!" Gilbert whined, blushing. Everyone else laughed at Gilbert, who eventually joined them in laughter.

It had been about a month since Alfred had found out that Gilbert was Jester, and a lot had happened since that day. Charge had started leaving locations and times for Alfred to "meet up with him so we can chat about the awesome stuff that bros do", which Alfred happily accepted. Fjord had also started swinging by more often, more often than not at the end of Alfred's patrol, bringing him snacks and medical supplies. When asked why, Fjord simply responded, "It's better to get the surface problems treated right away." Alfred really didn't have an argument against that logic.

Albion had also slowly started becoming more friendly and open. Him and Alfred had started going on more patrols together, and more often than not, Albion invited him to dinners afterwards. The staff of the restaurants was always surprised to see Albion and Columbia walk in, sometimes with Fjord and Charge in tow. Soon, though, this became a common occurrence, and Alfred stopped worrying so much about what others were thinking.

Rosethorn, Fireball, and Jester had also been settling into their new routine pretty well. Luckily, all three of them lived together, so it was much easier for Alfred to check up on them. Detective Wang had assigned Columbia to check in with the three every other day, and while it had been inconvenient at first, all four of them had quickly gotten used to it. Since all three of them knew who Columbia was under the mask, Alfred didn't have to bother with the uniform, something that Allen really appreciated. Alfred also quickly found himself growing attached to the three former villains. Well, Alfred had already been attached to Gilbert because of Matthew, but... Details.

Alfred and Francis bonded over their shared fear of coming out to others as gay, and their past experiences with horrible people. Alfred also found out that Francis was genderfluid, which was a pretty interesting discussion. It was a bit weird at first, because Alfred didn't know what pronouns to use, before Francis just laughed and reassured him he wouldn't take offense if Alfred screwed up the pronouns. After that, things were much more chill between them, and Alfred even went clothes shopping with Francis one time, because Francis insisted that Alfred needed more clothes.

Antonio turned out to be one of the chillest people Alfred had ever met. He was always smiling and making jokes, and was also always there to listen to Alfred's rants about how horrible Braginsky was for giving them huge piles of homework. Turns out, Antonio also had a crush on someone, although he refused to say who it was. Alfred had tried every trick under the sun to get Antonio to tell him, but to no avail.

Also, Gilbert, as Jester, often came out with Alfred and Charge. Fjord and Albion, who had also been informed of the reformed status of the three villains, just sighed and went along with it every time. They seemed to be getting closer as well, so it was a win-win situation for everyone. Turns out that Gilbert and Charge had very similar interests to those of Alfred, and the three became fast friends. Gilbert even offered to help out on patrol occasionally, which Alfred accepted gratefully. Having a teleporter really came in handy when it came to covering ground.

And, a month later, here Gilbert was, explaining Jester to Matthew. Alfred was proud of the progress he'd made in gaining Gilbert's trust, and he really hoped this dinner would go well. Speaking of dinner...

"Kiku, this is delicious!" Alfred grinned, changing the subject from the empty silence. Kiku nodded his head.

"Thank you, Alfred-kun. I'm glad you enjoy it. What about you, Gilbert-san? Is dinner acceptable?"

Gilbert blinked in surprise. "Oh, no, this is great! Thank you so much!" Kiku flushed a little at the praise, and Yong-Soo giggled.

"Oh, how cute~!" he cooed. Gilbert glared at Yong-Soo across the table.

"Don't even think about it, Yong. He's got a boyfriend," Gilbert scolded. Yong deflated a bit before going right back to teasing Allen. Alfred laughed at his spirit's exasperated expression before turning back to the conversation.

"So, how are things going with you three?" Matthew was asking.

"Pretty good. Antonio got a job as a waiter at this nice Italian restaurant downtown, and I'm working at the library," Gilbert replied, smiling faintly.

"Nice to see you finally get a job, Gil," Alfred teased. Gilbert grinned at him.

"Oh, yes, you unemployed slacker," Gilbert shot back. Alfred grinned wider and took the bait.

"Yes, but I've been living with two other people with jobs, unlike you."

"I'm insulted! Francis has had a job since day one."

"Please stop, you two. I'm already dealing with two children; I don't need it to become four," Matthew calmly cut in. Alfred and Gilbert laughed and went back to eating their food.

After dinner, Gilbert stayed and played video games with Alfred and Kiku for a bit, with Matthew joining them after a few rounds. Eventually, Gilbert had to leave, and he left with the promise of seeing Alfred on patrol tomorrow. Yong-Soo promised to come back and visit Allen every once in awhile, which Allen seemed happy about.

Later that night, before Alfred went to bed, he turned to Allen and asked "Do you get lonely?"

Allen blinked. "A little. Why?"

"Just... it seemed like Yong kind of annoyed you a bit, but you seemed really happy to see him. And, well, we haven't met any other spirits, so I was just wondering..." Alfred trailed off at the expression on Allen's face. He looked like he was about to cry.

"Whoa, hey! I'm sorry!" Alfred panicked. Allen grinned a bit.

"Don't be. I'm happy that you care enough to ask that. No one else has ever done that."

 _Now_ Alfred felt bad. What must it have been like, for no one to care if you were lonely?

"Now, don't you have class in the morning~?" Allen stood, shooting Alfred a Cheshire cat grin. Alfred huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going. Geez."

Alfred fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. The last thing he registered was a furry warmth curling into his side, purring him to sleep.

* * *

"So, how's life been for you? We haven't patrolled together in a while, huh?" Columbia rambled. Arthur sighed and internally smacked himself. Why did he agree to this again?

"No, we haven't. And my life has been going fine, thank you for asking," Arthur replied, trying to ignore the fluttering in his stomach. Columbia shot him a bright grin, and Arthur internally slapped himself. _No, bad Arthur, now is_ not _the time to think like that_!

"Things have been really quiet lately. I don't like it," Columbia announced, snapping Arthur out of his thoughts.

"I agree. Whenever it gets this quiet, something bad is always coming," Arthur replied, toying with the edge of his hood.

 _Arthur, you're too paranoid_ , Oliver moaned.

 _Hush, you,_ Arthur shot back. Oliver fell silent for the time being.

"Well, I'm sure we can handle it!" Columbia chirped, grinning over at Arthur. Arthur snorted in amusement, and Columbia pouted. "Hey! I'm being serious here!"

"Sorry, I know. Just... you. You're so optimistic, even knowing something bad could happen," Arthur chuckled. Columbia perked up immediately, grabbing Arthur into a tight hug. Arthur squacked and tried to wiggle out of the hold, prompting Columbia to squeeze tighter.

"Columbia, let go! You're strangling me!" Arthur wheezed. Columbia finally released him, grinning.

"Aw, Albion, I'm just happy about the compliment! Hey, wanna go get dinner after this?"

"Aw, look at the two lovebirds, planning their romantic date," a new female voice cooed. Arthur immediately snapped to attention, cursing his lack of focus. He felt Columbia shift into a fighting stance next to him, and he started scanning the roof, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Who's there?" Columbia called, sounding incredibly brave. Arthur carefully tapped into his powers, allowing green magic to wrap around his open palms.

A chuckle that sent shivers up Arthur's spine answered. "I don't think you'd know me very well. After all, my brother is much more in the spotlight than I." Soft footsteps reached Arthur's ears, and he spun to see a girl walk out of the shadows. She was wearing a form-fitting black jumpsuit, and long silvery hair flowed behind her. She didn't look very dangerous, but all of Arthur's senses were on alert anyway. Something about her just didn't sit quite right with him.

"Who the hell are you?" Columbia broke in, voicing Arthur's thoughts. The girl smirked.

"In my native tongue, I would be called _Mim_. However, in your language, I am known as Mimic. It is a pleasure to meet you, Columbia and Albion." Chills coursed down Arthur's spine again. This girl gave him an incredibly bad feeling.

"Can't say the same. Sorry," Columbia smirked at her. Arthur mentally facepalmed. Didn't the idiot know to _not_ aggravate the enemy?!

"Oh, not to worry, Columbia," she purred. "My sister and I weren't expecting you to feel the same."

"Sister?" Arthur blinked in confusion before a wave slammed into his back, sending him skidding across the roof towards Mimic.

"Albion!" Columbia yelled before cursing. Arthur craned his neck and saw a girl with short platinum blonde hair standing in the middle of a snowstorm, smirking at Columbia. Arthur moved to stand up and help him, but a boot was placed on his back, forcing him down.

"Relax, man. We've got this," Columbia's voice came from above. Arthur's brows furrowed in confusion, and he turned to look back at where Columbia was... standing across the roof from him. What?

"It's so cute that you can't figure it out, you know?" Columbia's voice chuckled. Arthur looked up, and in Mimic's place was... Columbia.

 _She's a shapeshifter! Be careful Arthur, I know who her spirit is, and he's not very friendly!_ Oliver shrieked. Arthur gritted his teeth and channeled his power towards his back.

"Just surrender now, and life will be much easier for you. General Winter wants to meet you, and he doesn't like to be kept waiting," Mimic-as-Columbia laughed. Arthur smirked.

"Yeah, well, looks like he'll just have to deal with it," he quipped before letting his magic explode out of him, throwing Mimic off his back and across the roof. He scrambled to his feet and raced to help Columbia, who looked like he was rapidly tiring.

"I have to recharge in a minute! Think you can hold on for a minute or two?" Columbia yelled to be heard over the sound of the snowstorm.

"Yes! Hurry, though!" Arthur yelled back, pouring all his strength into a shield. Columbia nodded gratefully and took off running, leaving Arthur alone with two angry girls.

"Aw, your partner ditched you? How sad," Mimic hissed, slowly standing up. Arthur gulped. Damn it, he _knew_ they shouldn't have done patrol alone tonight!

"Albion! Hang on! I'm on my way!" Fjord's voice crackled over his earpiece. Arthur felt like dropping onto his knees and praising some higher power.

"Just drop the shield. It will be so much easier if you do," the other girl said, pouring more power into her snowstorm. Arthur gritted his teeth and fortified his shield, not caring that his powers were reaching dangerous levels for his health.

"Sorry, that's not how I operate," he hissed. Mimic smirked and pulled something from her boot. Before he could think to wonder what it was, she lunged for him. Arthur tried to dodge, but slipped on a patch of ice... right into the other girl's waiting arms. Mimic grinned and revealed a syringe. Arthur's eyes widened and he struggled to get away, but Mimic plunged the syringe into his leg anyway. Arthur managed to wrench away once she extracted it, scrambling to his feet. A woozy feeling spread over him, and he shook his head in an attempt to clear it.

"You were being difficult, so I gave you something to help calm you down," Mimic shrugged. Arthur shook his head again and staggered back.

"Fine. Still being difficult, I see," Mimic hissed. "Hurricane, go get a hostage. Maybe he'll cooperate then."

Arthur's blood ran cold. "You wouldn't dare."

"Watch me," Hurricane grinned, jumping off the edge of the building. Arthur dashed after her, adding a bit of magic to help him go faster because he couldn't let someone get taken hostage, not again, not after Peter...

"Not another step, Albion," Hurricane said, causing Arthur to skid to a stop. His heart froze when he saw the hostage he had failed to rescue.

 _It was Alfred_. Alfred, with a knife to his throat and blood trickling from a gash on his head. Alfred, who had nothing to do with this. Alfred, who might die because Arthur was so stupid, _why were you stupid_ _this has happened before, it happened with Peter and now he's dead, it's all your fault, Arthur, it's all your fault..._

"Let him go!" Arthur yelled, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

"Oh, I will! Once you fall unconscious or surrender. Whichever comes first, it doesn't matter much to me," she replied, smiling brightly. Alfred seemed to be panicking, and so was Arthur. He didn't know how much longer he had, and he refused to be captured. Where the bloody hell was Fjord?!

"You're insane," he whispered shakily, trying to ignore the way his vision was blurring.

"Oh, no, I'm not. I'm just committed," she shot back with a grin that made Arthur feel very scared.

Shouts from the roof caused all three of them to look up. Ice suddenly coated the entire roof, and Arthur grinned when he heard Fjord's voice yelling.

"Oh, looks like your backup is here. Shame. This one might have lived had he been slower," Hurricane said before plunging her knife into Alfred's stomach. Arthur barely registered his scream, barely registered calling on his magic. All he registered was Alfred crumpling to the ground, a red stain slowly spreading on his T-shirt. The red covered his entire vision, almost as if he was drowning in it, and when it faded, he saw Hurricane crumpled on the ground. He couldn't bring himself to care, however, and ran to Alfred's side, skidding the last few feet on his knees.

"Oh my God, Alfred! Alfred, can you hear me, are you okay?" Arthur rambled, grabbing Alfred's ( _lovely, perfect,_ beautiful) face in his hands. Alfred's blue eyes hazily flickered open, and Arthur let out a sob of relief.

"Oh, thank God. Stay with me, help's almost here. Just stay with me," Arthur pleaded, feeling the lack of magic in his reserves. Whatever drug he's been injected with was slowly taking over, and Arthur hoped Fjord found them before it was too late. Or Columbia. Anger boiled in the pit of Arthur's stomach at the thought of Columbia. Where was he? He'd promised to only take a minute...

Arthur didn't even hear Fjord's calls only a minute later. All he knew was the feeling of Alfred's heartbeat under his hands, and the warm embrace of sleep.

* * *

Alfred woke up to the sound of Tino sighing "Not again..."

Groaning, Alfred tried to sit up, only to be stopped by Fjord and Tino. "Relax. You were just stabbed, so calm down."

"W-where's Albion?" Alfred croaked. Fjord sighed.

"In a room down the hall. He got drugged, so he's recovering. As for you, I would not recommend putting on your suit. I think Albion knows your civilian identity."

Alfred started panicking. "Oh God, am I busted?!"

Fjord shrugged. "I don't know anyone named 'Alfred', so no. You're well enough to leave, if you like. Jester's here to take you home, if you want." Alfred breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you for everything, Fjord and Tino. I'll just... go now..." Alfred said before awkwardly exiting.

Allen tackled him into a hug as soon as he came into the common area. "You idiot! I thought you were dead!"

"It takes a lot more than that to kill me, don't worry," Alfred laughed, hugging Allen back. Gilbert stood up and hugged Alfred as well.

"Let's get you back home. Mattie and Kiku are worried sick," Gilbert murmured. Alfred nodded, and Gilbert teleported them back to his apartment.

"Al! You're okay!" Matthew yelled before tackling Alfred to the floor. Alfred hissed in pain as his wound was jarred, and Matthew scrambled off, apologizing profusely.

"Relax, Matt, it was an accident. Now, if you don't mind, I'm hungry, so I'm gonna make a sandwich," Alfred said, standing up and wandering to the kitchen.

"So, new villain?" Gilbert asked, now detransformed. Alfred nodded.

"Two, actually. Mimic and Hurricane. Their code names are self-explanatory, I think."

Matthew sighed. "Well, that's just what we needed. Go get some rest after your sandwich, Alfred. You need it."

"Yes, _Mom_ ," Alfred shot back, laughing at Matthew's puffed-up cheeks.

* * *

"Ugh. I hate stab wounds. It's official," Alfred groaned as he collapsed onto his bed. Allen rolled his eyes.

"Everyone hates stab wounds. Also, I'm banning you from patrol for a few days."

"I totally agree with you, for once. I'm going to school tomorrow, though, and you can't stop me," Alfred mumbled, already half asleep. Allen chuckled and ran a hand through Alfred's hair.

"Yes, dear. Now, go to sleep. I'll wake you up when it's time to go."

Alfred didn't need to be told twice. He was out like a light in a matter of seconds.

* * *

 **A/N: Again, I'm SO SORRY for the long wait! I'll try to get the last chapter posted on time! Love you all for sticking with me, and I hope to see you next chapter! Remember, concrit is LOVED, flames are used to roast marshmallows. Bye guys!**


	5. It Was Enchanting To Meet You

**A/N: Hello, guys! So, this is the final chapter of the first story in this series... And I finally came up with a name for it! This series is now officially called "The (Mis)Adventures of Albion and Columbia". Yeah, I know, it's not very original, but... Oh well! It works X3**

 **Also, thank you so much for all the support, guys! I loved all the reviews, and whenever I saw a favourite or a follow, I squealed for joy. You guys really helped me pull through for this chapter! On the note of reviews, let's answer a few!**

 **Lifeoflemoon: (Chapter 1) Thank you so much! I'm glad you like this! X3 (Chapter 4) THANK YOU I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!**

 **Spagna Conquistador: ... Not quite sure what that means, but I think it's positive! Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to review**

 **Bird's Boat: Hahahahahahahahahaha... Yes, yes it is. All I can write is gay stuff. Literally. Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying it!**

 **On a separate note, the second story will not be up for a little bit (like, 2 months, TOPS). I have an AP Lit and Comp project that I need to do before school starts, and I really need to dedicate my time to that. I promise you, it WILL be put up in a couple months. Maybe sooner... Even so, the update schedule will be closer to that of "But If You Close Your Eyes". I'm really sorry about this, but I need to lower my stress levels. And get my project done.**

 **So, enough of these long notes! Let's wrap this story up, shall we? All aboard the angst train!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own APH in any way, shape, or form. All I own is the plot. On with the story!**

* * *

"Alfred! I heard the news! Are you alright?!" Arthur practically tackled Alfred into a hug as soon as Alfred walked into the classroom. Unfortunately, Arthur squeezed Alfred's midsection... which was right where the knife wound was.

At Alfred's hiss of pain, Arthur quickly let go and stepped back, worry in his emerald eyes. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Artie. I'm fine. It's mostly healed anyway," Alfred gasped, trying to reassure the nervous blonde. Well, that was true. Being Columbia _did_ give him advanced healing powers. Arthur huffed.

"Well, excuse me for being concerned for your well-being. Maybe I won't care next time. Maybe I'll leave you to be in pain alone."

"Arthur, I'm sorry. I've just had people fussing over me all of last night, and I'm kinda sick of it. I'm so glad you care, though!" Alfred grinned, trying to make the conversation more light-hearted. Arthur huffed again, but a little grin tugged at his lips this time.

"Of course I care, you idiot," Arthur replied. Alfred grinned back, wanting to hug Arthur, but deciding against it because of his stab wound.

"Aw, how cute. Why don't you two just finally get together?" Francis snickered from behind Alfred. Alfred jumped and spun around in shock, wincing as he tugged at his stitches. Arthur noticed his flinch and stepped forward, his hand outstretched in concern. Francis looked worried too, and Alfred sighed.

"I'm _fine_. I turned too fast, that's all." He tried to sound reassuring, but Arthur and Francis didn't seem to relax at all.

"Guys, just... class is going to start in a minute. I'm fine, I'll be fine, just... thank you for your concern. I really appreciate it," Alfred sighed. Arthur looked a little bit hurt, and Francis gave him a look saying _We will be talking about this later_. Alfred sighed and walked to his seat, collapsing into it.

Arthur sat down next to him and shot him one more worried look. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes. Now, I just need to get through this class, and I'll be gold."

Arthur nodded and opened his notebook, just as Braginsky walked in, looking pissed.

"Crap," Alfred muttered, and he could hear Francis give a little groan from behind him. Obviously Braginsky was _really_ pissed if Francis could feel it.

"Pop quiz. I hope you all studied," Braginsky smiled that creepy little smile of his. Everyone groaned, and Alfred slammed his head onto his desk. Great, just how much worse could his day get?

* * *

"Albion! There you are! I was starting to think you weren't showing up!" Columbia called, dropping down from the rafters. Arthur gritted his teeth. He actually _had_ considered not coming, but yelling at Columbia was more important right now.

"Well, here I am," Arthur ground out. Columbia's smile fell, and he looked at Arthur in concern.

"A-are you okay? You sound... mad. Did something happen last night?"

That was the final straw. Arthur was going to try and do this calmly, but then Columbia had to go and bring it up like _that_.

"Did something happen last night? Oh, something happened last night, all right. What happened is that _you weren't there!_ You weren't there, and a civilian got _taken hostage_ and _stabbed in the gut_ , all because _you weren't there_ when I _needed you to help!_ So, I think I'd call that 'something', Columbia. So, why don't you tell me what was so _damn_ important that you left me with no backup last night?!" Arthur snarled. Columbia blinked in shock, taking a step back. He'd never seen Arthur, or Albion, this angry before, and he didn't know what to do.

 _... No swearing,_ Oliver mumbled weakly in Arthur's head, also scared at how mad Arthur was.

"Albion, I... I'm so, so sorry," Columbia stammered out. Arthur saw red.

"You're _SORRY?!_ Well, I'm sorry, but 'sorry' isn't going to change the fact that Alfred _ALMOST DIED BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T THERE_!" Arthur screeched, grabbing the front of Columbia's uniform and yanking him forward. "He almost died because you left to recharge, and _DIDN'T COME BACK!_ 'Sorry' isn't going to change that, you bloody-" Arthur was cut off as he found himself wrapped into a hug. Columbia sniffled into his shoulder, and Arthur froze up slightly. Anger still churned in his gut, but somehow... this hug felt... nice.

"I'm so sorry, Albion. I didn't know that would happen. I really, really needed to recharge. I didn't know that your friend would get hurt. I'm so, so sorry," Columbia sobbed. Arthur's anger dissipated and he was wracked with guilt. It wasn't _really_ Columbia's fault that Alfred was stabbed. It was Hurricane's, and Arthur had lost sight of that in his anger. And now he probably had absolutely _no_ chance of getting together with Columbia. Damn it...

"Hurricane iced me to a wall so I couldn't move or scream. Charge had to come get me out later. I'm so, so sorry you thought I abandoned you. I didn't want anyone to get hurt, especially your friend," Columbia continued. "I understand if you never want to patrol with me again, or ever see me, and I'm so-"

Arthur cut him off with a light smack to the head. "You idiot, _I'm_ the one who should be apologizing. You did absolutely nothing wrong, and it was wrong of me to take my anger out on you. Just... that civilian, Alfred, is a really good friend of mine, and I don't want to see him get hurt. So, I'm very sorry for yelling at you, and I hope you can forgive me."

Columbia blinked in shock. "Albion... You had every right to get angry. Don't apologize. I should have radioed and told you what was happening."

Arthur snorted. "Ah, look at us, two idiots with more politeness than common sense. Let's just both agree that the incident wasn't either of our faults, and go back to being friends."

"Friends?" Columbia asked, hopefully. "You consider us friends?"

"Well of course, you sodding idiot," Arthur grinned. "After the amount of time we've spent in life-threatening situations together, I think we can safely call each other friends."

Columbia cheered and wrapped Arthur into another hug. "I'm glad you think the same way! I'm so happy!"

"Yeah, yeah, now could you please put me down?" Arthur sighed, trying to breathe properly through Columbia's tight grip. Columbia laughed and set him down on the floor, beaming.

"So, now that we've made up... I never got that dinner you promised me! Wanna go after patrol?" Columbia asked. Arthur felt a small flush crawl up his cheeks at the prospect of his crush asking him on a date.

"Oh, yes, that sounds lovely. Now, we should probably get started, hm?" Arthur replied, summoning his magic. Columbia laughed and raced out of the warehouse, yelling over his shoulder "Have fun!"

Arthur sighed and shook his head. How he'd gotten a crush on this idiot, he'll never know.

* * *

"So, somehow Albion knows who I am as a civilian, and he's apparently a really good friend of mine as a civilian as well. I have no idea who he could be, and I think me might also have a crush on me as Columbia, which I don't know how to deal with! Please help me!" Alfred begged. Francis took a long sip of her coffee before speaking.

"First off, I think you shouldn't push Albion to tell you his civilian identity. If he really considers you friends, like you just told me, then he'll tell you when he's ready. I wouldn't push him on that," Francis said, sipping her latte. Alfred nodded in agreement, even though he _really wanted to know_ just who Albion was under that hood.

"Second, about the crush... Is that such a bad thing?"

"Well, I mean... No, not really. It's just... I love Arthur, and it would feel like betrayal if I started going out with Albion," Alfred replied, fiddling nervously with his half-empty iced coffee. Francis arched an eyebrow.

"Last I checked, you and Arthur are not together. Therefore, how is it a betrayal? I mean, it's not like you'd be cheating on Arthur with Albion. So, I don't quite see what the problem is," Francis retorted calmly, fixing Alfred with a Look.

"It's just... have you ever loved somebody so much, but you've never gotten the courage to ask them out, and the next moment, someone else comes in and takes them from you?" Alfred asked, bouncing his right leg.

"Well, it didn't happen quite like that, but yes. It didn't work out for the other person or my love," Francis smoothly replied. Alfred could have smacked himself for being an idiot. Francis had dated Arthur. Agh, Alfred was such an idiot.

"I'm so sorry if that sounded insensitive! Just... _gah_... I really need help," Alfred trailed off sadly. Francis leaned across the table and grasped Alfred's hand.

"Alfred, _mon cher_ , just ask Albion out. It will save everyone time and frustration. Anyone with eyes can see that you and Albion care for each other. If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. Don't just limit yourself because of one person who may not reciprocate your feelings," Francis said, smiling in encouragement. Alfred bit his lip.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Francis smiled again and nodded. "I'm sure. Albion really cares for you. Just give it a try, alright?" Alfred nodded in response.

"Oh! Before I forget, I have a message from Gilbert," Francis grinned. Alfred raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What's that?"

"He said, and I quote: Alfred, if you do anything to hurt Albion, I will personally teleport you to the coldest icecap on this planet and leave you there." Alfred blinked in shock.

"Gilbert won't confirm or deny it, but we all think he and Albion used to date," Francis explained, shrugging.

"Well, that... actually explains a lot. Wow. How have I never thought of this before?" Alfred laughed a little. Francis joined in as well.

" _Oui_ , well, Gilbert has always been secretive about his relationships. I didn't even know about Matthew until two months after they got together," Francis laughed. Alfred rolled his eyes.

"Gilbert's an idiot, isn't he?"

"But he's our idiot," Francis replied, smiling fondly. Alfred nodded in agreement.

"Oh, on a different topic... Angelique, Yong, and Flavio were wondering if Allen would like to come over this weekend? They also said to invite Albion's, Fjord's, and Charge's spirits as well. They thought a get-together might be a good idea," Francis announced, sliding four pieces of paper across the table. "These say the date, time, and place. Could you pass these on to Albion, Charge, and Fjord on patrol tonight?"

"Yeah, of course, dude! Uh, I mean..." Alfred quickly tried to recover from his slip-up. Francis laughed.

"'Dude' is a non-gender specific word. It's fine to use, Alfred. You know I'm not too fussy anyways."

"Yeah, I know. I just like to be polite and respect people, you know?" Alfred grinned a bit, glad that Francis wasn't mad. She laughed a little at that.

"And I appreciate that tremendously. Now, finish your coffee. Toni and Gil are waiting to go to the movies, and I don't want to be late."

* * *

"Rosethorn wants what?" Fjord asked, blinking a little in shock. Arthur, Columbia, Fjord, and Charge were all sitting around Fjord's dining room table, enjoying dinner after patrol. They were alone because, according to Charge, "Berwald and Tino are on a date, and Emil is at a sleepover with Leon." Arthur caught the little grin on Charge's face when he said that last part, and Fjord shot him a look as if to say, _Shut up._ Somehow, their conversation had turned towards the Bad Touch Trio, and then Columbia had brought out the invitations.

"Rosethorn thought that maybe all of our spirits could gather for a little get-together. I mean, I know mine gets lonely sometimes, and Rosethorn figured that was the case for the others. He thought they might want to meet up and just chat and catch up, that's all," Columbia shrugged a little. "I mean, mine's going, and Rosethorn asked me to invite yours, so..."

 _Oh, Arthur, can I go? I can't wait to see everyone!_ Oliver pleaded. Arthur silently sighed and said, "Oliver wants to go."

"Would you mind telling Rosethorn that Matt and Hans are both coming as well?" Fjord spoke up after catching Charge's slight nod. Columbia beamed.

"Sure thing! I'll let him know. Thanks guys! Allen's going to be really happy," Columbia chirped. Arthur laughed a little at that, as did Fjord.

They had just finished dessert (some kind of Norwegian cookies, Fjord had said) when Arthur's pendant beeped. He sighed and stood up. "Sorry, but I have to go."

"No prob, dude! I'll see you on patrol tomorrow!" Columbia cheered. Fjord stood up and offered to show Arthur out.

When they reached the front door, Fjord spoke up. "You do know that Columbia has a bit of a crush on you, right?" Arthur sputtered a little, even though internally he was jumping for joy. This meant he had a chance!

Fjord grinned a little. "Just thought you should know. Have a nice night, Albion." With that, Fjord closed the door behind him, and Arthur was left alone on the porch.

"Oliver, detransform," he muttered, and his Albion uniform vanished. Oliver leaned against his shoulder a bit.

"I'm assuming you wanted to talk without seeming crazy?" Oliver mumbled. Arthur grinned slightly.

"Yep. Now, let's get home and get you some cupcakes. We can talk on the way." Oliver nodded, and together they started the walk home (Arthur had figured out that Fjord lived in the next neighbourhood... Who knew?)

"If you want my advice on Columbia, just ask him out," Oliver said. Arthur worried his bottom lip between his teeth.

"I know, but... What if Fjord's been misreading the signs? What if he's not interested in me?" Arthur asked. Oliver sighed and wrapped an arm around Arthur's shoulders.

"Arthur, anyone with eyes can see that Columbia loves you. And anyone with eyes can also see that you love him back. I can talk to Allen and confirm this if I have to, but I'm pretty sure he'll tell me the same thing," Oliver answered. Arthur still wasn't convinced, and Oliver sighed.

"Ask him out after patrol later this week."

"I-I'll try. Just be aware that if it blows up in my face, I'm blaming you."

"I wouldn't expect anything else, Artie. Now, can we hurry? I'm starting to feel really dizzy."

"Yeah, yeah. Now hold on, because I can't carry you."

"Yes, Mother," Oliver replied cheekily. Arthur scowled.

"Don't call me that!"

"Of course, Mother."

* * *

"Oliver! Allen! You made it!" Angelique squealed as she crushed Oliver and Allen into a tight hug. Allen stiffened a little, and Oliver just laughed and hugged her back.

"Good to see you too, Angie. Thank your host for allowing us to use his place, yeah?" Oliver requested.

"Well, technically, it was a group effort. Mine, Angie's, and Flavio's hosts all live here," Yong-Soo piped up, coming over with a couple of sodas. Oliver grinned when he saw what they were.

"Aw, you remembered~!" Oliver squealed, crushing Yong into a hug while making sure not to drop the soda cans.

"Of course he remembered. It's kinda hard to forget favourite sodas. It hasn't been _that_ long," Matt drawled from the couch, sipping on a grape soda. Allen rolled his ruby eyes in response.

"Good to see you too, bro," he shot back as he took the proffered can of Coke and went to sit next to his brother. "Hey, Mom, come over here."

"I am not your mother, Allen! Stop calling me that!" Oliver pouted, thanking Yong-Soo for the ginger ale before sitting down between Allen and Matt. Everyone in the room just laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, Oliver, live in denial all you like," Angelique teased, sitting on the couch across from them. Yong and Flavio both sat down next to her, leaving poor Hans to sit alone in a chair. "So, how's everyone been?"

"Well, it looks like Matt and I will be living together until we get new hosts. Ours are getting married in five months," Hans reported.

"Oh, that's wonderful news!" Flavio chirped, clapping his hands in excitement. Matt rolled his eyes.

"It's not so bad living with Hans. It's better than living with your brother, Flavio," Matt said. Flavio deflated a little and stared at his orange soda.

"Yeah... I don't know what went wrong..." Flavio whispered. Angelique and Yong gave him hugs to cheer him up, and Matt apologized for being so insensitive.

"It's fine, Matt," Flavio reassured him, grinning. Matt sighed in relief and turned to Allen and Oliver.

"So, you two... How goes Operation Columbion?" he asked, smirking. Oliver and Allen both groaned and fell back against the couch.

"Horrible. Albion's still unsure of whether Columbia actually likes him or not," Oliver groaned.

"Columbia's still in denial that he likes Albion, and it's driving me crazy!" Allen reported, running a hand through his messy brown hair. Yong sighed in sympathy.

"I know the feeling. Jester was in denial for _so long_ ," Yong sighed. Angelique and Flavio nodded in agreement.

"How did we end up with the oblivious idiots?" Allen spoke up after a few seconds, causing everyone else to snort in amusement.

"I think you two always end up with the oblivious idiots," Matt pointed out, smirking. "Oh, shut up," Allen growled and swatted his arm. Oliver sighed, used to being caught in the middle of the siblings' fights.

"Well, I managed to convince Albion to ask Columbia on a date later this week. Let's hope it works out," Oliver sighed, taking another sip of his ginger ale. Allen nodded in agreement.

"Well!" Angelique stood, clapping her hands together. "Who wants to play BS?"

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Allen? Are you absolutely sure? What if he says no, or never wants to see me again, or curses me for the rest of my life, or-" Alfred was cut off by Allen.

 _Okay, really? You're overreacting. Albion wouldn't do that to you, and you know it. Now, just ASK HIM ALREADY!_

"Yeah, yeah, okay okay okay, I'll do it. Sheesh," Alfred mumbled.

"You'll do what?" Albion asked, jumping down from the rafters. Alfred jumped a little.

"Jeez! You scared me! A little warning next time!" Alfred yelped. Albion chuckled a little and walked towards Alfred.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't resist. Anyway, what do you need to do?" Albion tilted his head to the side, curious. Alfred took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and began to talk.

"So, I don't know if you feel the same way about me, but I kinda like you? Like, like like you. So, I was wondering if you would go on a date with me? Like, dinner and a movie? You don't have to, that's fine, and if you say no I really hope this doesn't affect our teamwork or anything." Alfred finally snapped his mouth closed to end his ramble. Albion was frozen in shock and was staring at him from under his hood. Alfred started getting nervous. Was Albion going to reject him? Slap him? Hex him to kingdom come?

"S-sorry for asking, i-it's stupid, I know. You know what? Just forget I ever asked. Please, just- _mmph_!" Alfred was cut off by a force suddenly crashing into his lips. It took a few seconds for Alfred to register that that force was Albion's lips. Albion was kissing him. _Albion was KISSING HIM_! Alfred kissed back, and fireworks exploded behind his eyes. Kissing Albion was everything he had imagined it would be, and more. Except...

 _Arthur. What about Arthur?_ a little voice whispered in the back of his head. Albion pulled away before Alfred could reflect on this further. Albion grinned at him from under the hood, and Alfred's stomach gave a little flutter.

"I-I'd like that. Going on dates with you, I mean," Albion stammered out. Alfred grinned nervously.

"Yeah. I'd like that too. Just... so you know... I kinda also have a crush on somebody else, and I'm trying to figure out my feelings, so..." Albion cut him off with a hug.

"I don't care, Columbia. Just as long as you're happy," Albion murmured. Alfred hugged back, grinning.

"So... six tomorrow night? That nice little Italian place downtown?" Alfred asked. Albion grinned.

"Sure. Now, we should patrol, shouldn't we?"

"Yes, we should. But first..." Alfred grinned before lunging forward and kissing Albion again.

* * *

Meanwhile, Allen and Oliver rolled their eyes and grinned evilly.

"Finally!" Allen cheered, making sure only Oliver could hear him.

"Yes, I know! Everyone else owes us money!" Oliver chirped back. Allen grinned as well.

"Oh, yes. They're going to regret betting against us." Oliver cackled back.

"So, my darling, now that we're done playing matchmakers... How about we have that long-awaited date?"

"Oh, you're on, Oliver. You're on."

* * *

 **A/N: And here we are, at the end of Enchanted! Thanks so much for sticking by me with this project! To be honest, I really struggled with this one. World-building with someone else's characters is not my strong suit...**

 **Anyway, the second story, called "Lightning Strikes the Heart" should be up within a couple months. We get some more characters introduced! Yay!**

 **And, just for fun, each of the stories in this series has a soundtrack! None of these are songfics, but the chapter titles come from the songs for that story. The song for every story in this series (and the song I think of as the USUK theme) is "Waiting For Superman" by Daughtry. The songs specific to THIS story are: "Fools" by Lauren Aquilina; "Maybe This'll Be My Year" by Train; and "Enchanted" by Taylor Swift/Owl City (this is where the title for this story comes in). Go check out these songs if you want! They really helped inspire the mood for this story!**

 **Anyway, thanks so much for sticking with me. This is my biggest project to date, what with the universe and all. I'll be posting information about this story on my profile if you'd like to take a look. I may also make a blog dedicated to this universe in the future. If that happens, I'll put a link to it on my profile.**

 **Sorry for the long notes this chapter, but I just have so much to say! I'd love to hear what you guys think! I'm also taking requests for the other stories. I have the basic plot planned out, but if there are any little scenes you'd like to see, please tell me! I'd love to hear your ideas!**

 **Again, thanks SO MUCH for reading! If you'd like, please review! Concrit is LOVED. Flames are used to grill steaks. I'll see you guys soon! _Auf Wiedersehen, meine lieblings!_** **~Neah**


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